A 23-month-old toddler in Britain will never grow up. Alex Connerty, who is only 2ft 4in, is the only primordial dwarf in Britain and is fated to spend his adult life standing less than 3ft tall.

Primordial dwarfism is a rare form of dwarfism that results in a smaller body size in all stages of life beginning from before birth. It is estimated that there are only 100 individuals in the world's history who have had the disorder, 40 of them in the U.S. It is unlikely that sufferers of primordial dwarfism will live past the age of 30.

Doctors say that Alex, who wears clothes designed for six-month-olds, is likely to die prematurely without expert intervention.

Daily Mail quotes his mother, Sue, 36, as saying, "Our son will walk with giants for the rest of his life but to us he is a titan, and already people stand in his shadow - his family among them."

His parents have launched the Walking with Giants fundraising campaign so Alex and his parents can meet the world's leading dwarf expert.

His mother dotes on him, saying that he is very "social and outgoing," but is also worried about Alex's future.

"We don't know what the future holds, but we think Alex will conquer every obstacle put in front of him," she said.

Alex was diagnosed with Majewski osteodysplastic primordial dwarfism type II last May. Children born with MOPD II have normal proportions but are small for their chronological age throughout the life span.

The couple has two older children, Jessica, aged nine, and Michael, aged 12, who love their kid brother and call him their "little Action Man."